Michael John Strahan avoids jail, ex-partner Chelsea Margaret Carstairs fined for starving pet dogs

A Collie man has avoided jail while his ex-partner was handed a hefty fine for starving their pet dogs over five months in what a South West magistrate has described as the “worst case of animal neglect” she had seen. Michael John Strahan, 22, and Chelsea Carstairs, 22, were sentenced in the Bunbury Magistrates Court on Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of animal cruelty by way of failing to provide sufficient food or water. The court was told RSPCA inspectors received a complaint from a neighbour of the former couple on May 9, 2019, complaining about two dogs that were severely malnourished and had been in that state for five months. A week later, inspectors travelled to their Jones Street home in Collie and found an underweight female Staffy-cross dog, named Lily, in the backyard with her hip, ribcage and spine prominent but did not see a second dog. Inspectors also observed empty and dry food and water bowls at the property. When they managed to gain access to the property after contacting Strahan, they were told a male Staffy-cross dog, named Charlie, was at the property but had died some time before due to weight issues. Both Strahan and Carstairs admitted Lily was underweight with Strahan telling the inspectors he thought Carstairs would feed her when he forgot, while Carstairs, who now resides in Carey Park, said she did not usually feed the dogs as Strahan was their primary owner but would do so when she was not busy with her young child. A medical examination of Lily conducted by Collie Veterinary Services found she had a body condition score of zero due to “drastic underfeeding” likely caused by neglect while a post-mortem examination of Charlie found he was also severely malnourished and was was likely to have died of asphyxiation by overfeeding on feed pellets. The court was told Lily was able to recover and was sent to a foster home, pending permanent adoption. In submissions, Carstairs’ defence counsel Twistie Venning told the court his client was struggling with mental illness and a complicated pregnancy at the time of offending. Mr Venning said while Carstairs acknowledged she could have done more to care for the two dogs, she lost count of how many times she reminded Strahan to feed the dogs. It was also submitted Carstairs was not the primary offender and did not agree to have the dogs brought into the home. Strahan’s counsel Jodette Reynolds submitted her client suffered from a number of disorders including ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, alcohol misuse and borderline personality disorder with potential for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, and struggled getting into a care routine for the dogs due to stresses in his life. Strahan also admitted that despite growing up with dogs in the family home, he prioritised his children and finances over the pets. It was also submitted that Strahan thought thyroid problems were the cause of the dogs being underweight, although there was no evidence suggesting either dog suffered from thyroid issues. In sentencing, Magistrate Belinda Coleman said the case was one of the “most extreme cases of neglect” she had seen, remarking that the dogs “suffered in an extreme manner”. “Thankfully Lily was saved and hopefully she will go on to have a much better life than the life she had when she was with you,” she said. Ms Coleman took the view Carstairs was at the same level of moral culpability as Strahan but acknowledged the submission that she had no say in bringing the dogs into the family home and that Strahan was the person who made the decision to adopt them. “You might have loved the idea of having dogs but you were not caring for those dogs, you never showed any love or care for them — you did the exact opposite,” she said. “These animals were suffering in one of the worst ways possible.” Carstairs was fined $8000 while Strahan was handed an eight-month prison term that was conditionally suspended for 12 months with program and supervision requirements, along with an order to undergo medical assessment for autism spectrum disorder. Both were ordered to pay court costs and were banned from owning or taking care of animals for five years.